Persistent back problems end Draxten's career

IOWA CITY -- Hannah Draxten's basketball career is over at the University of Iowa.

Beset by back injuries through the past two seasons, Draxten has applied for a medical exemption. She will remain on the team for her senior season as a student assistant coach and will retain her scholarship.

But she won't be playing any longer.

"It's really been a struggle the last two years," Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said Monday morning. "We hoped surgery would be a cure-all, but it didn't work out that way."

Draxten played in 30 games as a freshman before the constant back pain began. She saw action in only four games as a sophomore due to a herniated disc, and redshirted.

She had back surgery following the season and returned to the roster for the 2010-11 campaign.  Draxten's back issues continued, but she still managed to play in 24 of Iowa's 31 contests as a reserve.

"This is pretty hard to swallow," Draxten said. "Basketball has been a big part of my life since I can remember. Toward the end of the season, I thought this might be a possibility. But it didn't hit me until I met with the coaches and the medical staff after the season."

"Since I stopped working out, I could tell the back is starting to heal again. But when I'm playing, it's uncomfortable when I'm walking or just sitting in class."

Draxten played in 58 games in her three seasons, recording 157 career points. She made 34 3-pointers, including 23 as a freshman.  Draxten netted a career-high 13 points against Northwestern as a freshman on Jan. 18, 2009.

She is a two-time academic all-Big Ten selection and earned the team's Coaches Award this season.

"I'm sad to see this happen," Bluder said. "You could see Hannah's potential when she was a freshman. She tried to manage the pain, but it just wasn't in the cards." 

Bluder said that she hasn't decided upon Draxten's duties as a student assistant.

"We haven't nailed that down, but she'll help the team at practices and have some sort of office duties," she said.

Though Draxten's scholarship will be retained because of the medical exemption, another will open for an incoming player if Bluder chooses to recruit one.